1. God created everything, including us.
Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
2. God provided a simple commandment to His newly created man and woman. God also gave them a warning regarding the consequences of disobedience.
Genesis 2:16-17 - “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.’”
[Note: God could have designed people to do only what He wanted people to do--essentially like robots, but instead He instituted commandments--thereby giving people the ability to make choices for themselves. In so doing, God could see if people would choose to obey Him or to pursue their own desires.]
3. The very first persons created by God, Adam and Eve, broke the only commandment that God gave to them.
Genesis 3:6-7 – “When the woman saw that the tree [of the knowledge of good and evil] was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.
4. The first created man and woman suffered the promised consequences for
disobedience, including death.
Genesis 3:17-19 – “Then to Adam He [God] said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat from it”;
Cursed is the ground because of
you;
With hard labor you shall eat from
it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall
grow for you;
Yet you shall eat the plants of
the field;
By the sweat of your face
You shall eat bread,
Until you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.’”
Genesis 3:23 – “Therefore the Lord God sent him [Adam] out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.”
5. Thereafter,
mankind continued to do evil actions.
Genesis 6:5 – “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.”
Genesis 6:11 – “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.”
6. God decided to judge the entire earth with a flood because it had become so evil and corrupted.
Genesis 6:6-7 – “So the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, ‘I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.’”
7. God decided to save 1 righteous man and his family.
Genesis 6:8, 9b – “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord …. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”
8. God told Noah to build an ark into which Noah, Noah’s family and 2 of each kind of animal would hide during the flood that God was going to bring on the earth.
Genesis 6:13-15 – “Then God said to
Noah, ‘The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with
violence because of people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the
earth. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with
compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall
make it ….’”
9. Noah did what God commanded him to do.
Genesis 6:22 – “So Noah did these things; according to everything that God had commanded him, so he did.”
Genesis 7:13b-16 – “… Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, they and every animal according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kind, and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, all sorts of birds. So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed the door behind him.”
10. Then God brought the flood.
Genesis 7:17-24 – “Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. So all creatures that moved on the earth perished: birds, livestock, animals, and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. So He wiped out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from mankind to animals, to crawling things, and the birds of the sky, and they were wiped out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. The water prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.”
11. God decided and declared that He would never again punish mankind and the earth with a flood.
Genesis 8:21b – “… the Lord said to Himself, ‘I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.’”
Genesis 9:11-17 – “’I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be eliminated by the waters of a flood, nor shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.’ God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations; I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall serve as a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I make a cloud appear over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the rainbow is in the cloud, then I will look at it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ And God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.’”
12. As people again filled the earth, God began to unfold His plan, which He would reveal in much greater detail later, to provide a way for people to be saved from the judgment that falls on those who break His commandments. He introduced His plan by delivering it to a single people group—with instructions to distribute it to the world. The people group would be the nation of Israel, whose ancestor, Abram [later changed by God to “Abraham”], found favor in the eyes of God.
Genesis 12:1-3 – “Now the Lord said to Abram,
‘Go from your
country,
And from your
relatives
And from your
father’s house,
To the land
which I will show you;
And I will make
you into a great nation,
And I will bless
you,
And make your
name great;
And you shall be
a blessing;
And I will bless
those who bless you,
And the one who
curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’”
13. Abram did as God instructed, and God provided something very special to Abram—a “credit of righteousness.” The “credit of righteousness” means that God gave His own righteousness to Abram—making Abram saved from the judgment due to each person because of his or her violations of God’s commandments (“sin”).
Genesis 15:1-2a – “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
‘Do not fear,
Abram,
I am a shield to
you;
Your reward shall be very great.’
But Abram said, ‘Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless ….’”
Genesis 15:4-6 – “Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘… one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’ And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ Then he believed in the Lord; and He credited it to him as righteousness.”
[Note that God’s credit of righteousness came to Abram because he believed in the Lord--taking God at His Word; despite the fact that he was an old man, Abram believed that God would indeed give Abram an heir and that heir would turn into innumerable descendants.]
[Note that this credit of righteousness from God foreshadows God's plan to offer a credit of His righteousness in the future to everyone who believes what God says.]
14. God later tells Abram [now Abraham] that God’s covenant with Abraham will pass to Abraham’s son, Isaac.
Genesis 17:19, 21 – “But God said, ‘No, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him’ …. But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah [Abraham’s wife] will bear to you at this season next year.”
15. In a foreshadowing of God’s plan to provide salvation to mankind, God asks Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, on an altar as a burnt offering to God.
Genesis 22:1-3 – “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.’ So Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place of which God had told him.”
Genesis 22:9-18 – “Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. And Abraham reached out with his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not reach out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’ Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’"
Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand, which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
[In this event, we see the plan of God unfolded—a picture of what God’s plan would be—a plan whereby God the Father would offer His only son, Jesus, as a sacrifice—one that would atone for the sins of mankind and "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."]
16. The blessing and promise of God given to Abraham and transferred to Abraham’s son, Isaac, was, in turn, transferred to Isaac’s son, Jacob, whose name would later be changed by God to Israel.
Genesis 27:26-29 – “Then his father Isaac said to him [Jacob], ‘Please come close and kiss me, my son.’ So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said,
‘See, the smell
of my son
Is like the
smell of a field which the Lord has blessed;
Now may God give
you of the dew of heaven,
And of the
fatness of the earth,
And an abundance
of grain and new wine;
May peoples
serve you,
And nations bow
down to you;
Be master of
your brothers,
And may your
mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be those
who curse you,
And blessed be those who bless you.”
Genesis 28:13-15 – “Then behold, the Lord was standing above it and said [to Jacob in a dream], ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
17. Because of a famine, all of Jacob’s
family moved from the land that they inhabited (Canaan) to Egypt—where one of Jacob’s sons,
Joseph, had become a prominent leader.
Genesis 46:6-7 – “They also took their livestock and their possessions, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.”
18. The family of Jacob grew extensively in Egypt—until Egypt decided to enslave and oppress them.
Exodus 1:8-14 – “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, otherwise they will multiply, and in the event of war, they will also join those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.’ So they appointed taskmasters over them to oppress them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they dreaded the sons of Israel. The Egyptians used violence to compel the sons of Israel to labor; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they violently had them perform as slaves.”
19. God decided to rescue the people of Israel from Egypt. He appointed one man, Moses, to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Exodus 3:7, 10 – “And the Lord said, ‘I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. … And now come, and I will send you [Moses] to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.’”
Exodus 3:13-14 – “Then Moses said to God, ‘Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you.” Now they may say to me, “What is His name?” What shall I say to them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘YAHWEH’ [meaning ‘I AM WHO I AM’ or ‘I AM BECAUSE I AM’]; and He said, ‘This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”’”
20. The Pharaoh of Egypt refused to allow the people of Israel to leave Egypt, so God punished Egypt with plagues.
Exodus 3:19-20 – “’But I [Yahweh] know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. So I will reach out with My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.’”
21. The final plague from God that persuaded the Pharaoh to release the people of Israel was the plague of the death of the first born of every person and every animal in Egypt. The people of Israel were told to avoid the plague by putting the blood of a spotless lamb on the doorposts of their homes, so that the Angel of Death would pass over them.
Exodus 12:12-13 – “’For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will come upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.’”
Exodus 12:29-32 – “Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, ‘Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said. Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.’”
[Note: The salvation of the people of Israel from the Angel of Death who passed over them because of the blood on the doorposts became known as the “Passover,” and God commanded the people of Israel to remember it each year.]
22. The Israelites accordingly left Egypt and inhabited the wilderness between Egypt and the area that we now know as Israel for 40 years before they entered into their land. During this time, God gave through Moses a number of commandments for the people of Israel. The most notable of these commandments are what we refer to today as the Ten Commandments—which were inscribed on stone tablets by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai:
Exodus 20:1-17 – “Then God spoke all these words, saying,
‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. For six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male slave or your female slave, or your cattle, or your resident who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; for that reason the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’”
23. Because the people of Israel were unable to comply with God’s commandments, Yahweh God instituted a tabernacle (like a movable, tent-like temple) and system of sacrifices whereby the death of animals would atone for the sins of the people of Israel.
Leviticus 16:15-16 – “’Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the atoning cover and in front of the atoning cover. He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall do so for the tent of meeting which remains with them in the midst of their impurities.”
24. The people of Israel eventually settled into their land (located generally in the modern day area of Israel), and they were led by prophets and kings—the most prominent of which was King David, because he was a man after God’s own heart.
1 Samuel 13:14 – [The prophet Samuel to Saul, the first king of Israel, who was king before David] “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
25. God made a special promise to King David regarding his descendants:
2 Samuel 7:12-16 – [The prophet Nathan to King David] “When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind, but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’”
[Note that the prophecy was two-fold—referring both to David’s son, Solomon, who would eventually become the next King of Israel, and also to a future descendant who would establish David’s house and throne forever—the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.]
26. Many of the prophets issued prophecies regarding the coming Messiah--some of which are noted below:
Isaiah 7:14 – [God to Ahaz, King of
Judah (part of the divided kingdom of Israel)] “Then he said, ‘Listen now,
house of David! Is it too trivial a thing for you to try the patience of men,
that you will try the patience of my God as well? Therefore the Lord Himself
will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and she will name Him Immanuel.’”
[Note that “Immanuel” means “God with us.”]
Isaiah 53:3-7,
11-12 – “He was despised and abandoned by men,
A man of great pain and familiar with sickness;
And like one from whom people hide their faces,
He was despised, and we had no regard for Him.
However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore,
And our pains that He carried;
Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted,
Struck down by God, and humiliated.
But He was pierced for our offenses,
He was crushed for our wrongdoings;
The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.
All of us, like sheep, have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all
To fall on Him.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
* * *
As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
For He will bear their wrongdoings.
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the plunder with the strong,
Because He poured out His life unto death,
And was counted with wrongdoers;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the wrongdoers.”
[Note: this prophecy indicates that the Messiah will be harmed by people and thereby take on Himself the punishment of the sins of mankind.]
Daniel 7:13-14 – “I kept looking in
the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of
heaven
One like a son of man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of
Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Honor, and a kingdom,
So that all the peoples, nations,
and populations of all languages
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting
dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.”
[Note: this prophecy indicates that the Messiah will have a powerful and everlasting kingdom over all mankind.]
Micah 5:2 – “But as for you,
Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans
of Judah,
From you One will come forth for
Me to be ruler in Israel.
His times of coming forth are from
long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
[Note: this prophecy indicates that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.]
[Note: The people of Israel did not understand that the prophets were indicating that the Messiah would both suffer and also rule the world—that He would come to the earth twice: first as a baby and then as the unmistakable King of Kings. Their confusion regarding the dual purposes and arrivals of the Messiah may have contributed to the failure of the people of Israel to recognize their Messiah when he came first as the baby--born for the purpose of becoming the ultimate sacrifice for mankind--the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. They were expecting a preeminent king, and when they didn't see that king, they assumed that Jesus was merely an imposter. Of course, their misunderstanding enabled Jesus to accomplish His first objective--to become their sacrifice.]
27. In fulfillment of the prophecies, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, Israel.
Matthew 2:1-2 – “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’”
Luke 1:26-38 – “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’ But Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.”
28. At the start of Jesus’ ministry, a prophet who is described (in the 4 books of the Bible known as the Gospels) as the Isaiah prophesied "Voice of one crying out in the wilderness, to prepare the way of the Lord," John the Baptist, who was baptizing many people in Israel, saw Jesus and announced that Jesus was the sacrifice for mankind.
John 1:29 – “The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
29. During His approximately 3-year ministry, Jesus performed many miracles,
including the following:
Luke 5:12-13 [healing a man’s skin disease] – “While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ And He reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ And immediately the leprosy left him."
Luke 5:24b-26 [healing a paralytic] – “He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.’ And immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. And they were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God. They were also filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen remarkable things today!’”
Matthew 8:23-27 [calming a storm] – “When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, a violent storm developed on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, ‘What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’”
Matthew 9:20-22 [healing a woman with internal bleeding] – “And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched the border of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, ‘If I only touch His cloak, I will get well.’ But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, ‘Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.’ And at once the woman was made well."
Matthew 9:32-33 [casting out a demon from a person] “And as they were going out, behold, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to Him. And after the demon was cast out, the man who was previously unable to speak talked; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’”
John 6:8-14 [feeding of a large crowd with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread] – “One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people recline to eat.’ Now there was plenty of grass in the place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were reclining; likewise also of the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’”
Matthew 14:24-33 [walking on the sea] – “But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Peter responded and said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are truly God’s Son!’”
John 11:38-44 [raising the dead] – “So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Remove the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’ So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.’ And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”
30. While many of the people in Israel recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the religious leaders in Israel were blinded to who He was and substantially concerned about the admiration the crowds held for Him, and they looked for opportunities to have Jesus killed for blasphemy—claiming to be God.
John 11:47-48, 53 – “Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council meeting, and they were saying, ‘What are we doing in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs? If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take over both our place and our nation.’ … So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.”
31. Jesus indeed claimed to be God, and the people of Israel, considering Jesus’ statement to be blasphemy, picked up stones to stone Him—the punishment for blasphemy.
John 8:58-59 – “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’ Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds.
[Note: Jesus was claiming to be the person who told Moses that His name is Yahweh (“I AM BECAUSE I AM”) and that He existed even before Abraham—the ancestor of Israel.]
32. Jesus explained how people could be saved from eternal judgment and instead be given forgiveness of sins and eternal life—by believing that He was the Son of God and the Lamb who would be given as the ultimate sacrifice for mankind.
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.”
33.
Eventually, the religious leaders apprehended Jesus and incited the
local Roman leader to have Jesus crucified.
John 19:14-18 – “Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he [Pilate—the Roman leader of the area] said to the Jews, ‘Look, your King!’ So they shouted, ‘Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king except Caesar.’ So he [Pilate] then handed Him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, carrying His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.”
34. Though Jesus was buried in a tomb, which
was sealed and guarded, He rose from the dead.
Matthew 25:65-66 – “Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.’ And they went and made the tomb secure with the guard, sealing the stone.”
Mark 16:1-7 – “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?’ And looking up, they noticed that the stone had been rolled away; for it was extremely large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, “He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.”’
36. Following His resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to His disciples many times, and before He ascended to heaven, He gave a Great Commission to His disciples to tell the world about Jesus.
Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
37. Following His command, Jesus' followers spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire, and they wrote many letters to churches and followers of Jesus, and those letters now comprise a significant portion of the New Testament--read by people around the world—thus fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission. Their message is to urge everyone to believe and acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God, that Jesus died for us, and that everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Acts 10:42-43 [Peter, a close disciple of Jesus, to a non-Jew and his family] – “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and to testify solemnly that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify of Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
Romans 10:9-10 [Paul, a special Apostle of Jesus, to churches in Rome] – “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 [Paul to the church in Ephesus] – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
1 Peter 1:7-9 [Peter to some Christians in Eastern Europe and Asia] – “So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:18-21 – “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
1 John 3:23 [believed to be the John who was a disciple of Jesus to those who believe in Jesus] – “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.”
38. Jesus is coming again—this time as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and He will reign on Earth as such for 1,000 years.
Revelation 19:11-16 [a prophecy of John, a disciple of Jesus] – “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’”
Revelation 20:4 – “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
39.
After Jesus’ earthly reign of 1,000 years, He will execute a final
judgment on everyone.
Revelation 20:11-15 – “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
40. For those who have placed their faith and belief in Jesus, having been thereby forgiven of their sins, they will someday see their final reward of eternal life with God in Heaven.
Revelation 21:1-6 – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ Then He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life, without cost.’”
Revelation 22:12-13 – “’Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to reward each one as his work deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’”
In view of God’s written expression of His great plan for mankind, as summarized here, the invitation of God to you is to believe in Jesus Christ. If you want to accept the invitation of God, here is a prayer that you can pray to God—acknowledging your belief in Jesus:
“Dear God, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died to take away the sin of the world—including my sin. Right now in this moment, I place my faith and trust in Him. I believe that He will forgive all my sin and give me eternal life with Him.”
If you sincerely said that prayer to God, congratulations! Your sins have been forgiven by God, and you have become "saved" from the wrath of God! You are promised eternal life with God! The Bible explains that the Spirit of God will now seal you and dwell in you. As a new follower of Jesus, you are encouraged to read
the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to see what Jesus asked His followers
to do, and then help to spread the good news of Jesus to others that you know so
that even more people can come to know Him.
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